I agree with both of your verdicts on the Time Machine and must say that I too did quite enjoy the remake even though it's not a patch on the Rod Taylor version, which has always been a favourite of mine. I remember the morlocks scaring the shit out of me as a kid!

On the subject of time travel I have been watching a load of classic Dr Who lately, the excellent Jon Pertwee. If you're a fan i highly recommend Inferno, The Curse of Peladon, Day of the Daleks, The Sea Devils and the hugely fun and underrated Invasion of the Dinosaurs ( complete with rubber dinosaur effects lol ). They may not have the special effects of today's Who but they certainly have buckets of charm, fun and the story's are great entertainment! Simply can not be beaten in my humble opinion

Watched THE BIRDS in WS and HD today... was on ITV HD last night... here's hoping to God we finally get an inidividual release of this on BR when the Hitchcock boxset hits later this year. I LOVE this movie!!!

Still got a load of films to watch... DEAD HEADS, RED STATE, PHENOMENA... Plus bought a couple of horror XBox games... DEAD ISLAND: GAME OF THE YEAR EDITION and DEAD RISING 2.

As a horror it's weak, but as an actual story it's superior to the average slasher A documentary crew follows a mass murderer as he prepares for his latest round of teen killings. It is set in an absurdist world were Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers are real life hard working murder professionals.

The film works surprisingly well. It's not as clever, or as satirical, or as funny as it could be. But by low budget straight to rental standards it's much better than was probable. There seems to be some talented people involved who are really into the idea. I don't feel it's a bunch of hacks churning out work by rote.

A lot of the movie is filmed in that "found footage" style were we see things from a camera that a character is using. Luckily the makers are not beholden to that way of shooting. The film reverts to standard filming techniques for key scenes were it wouldn't make sense or would be a weaker way of shooting the sequence. The majority of the stalk and slash scenes are not done through the documentary camera.

Unfortunately the slasher parts are pretty weak. The director seems much more comfortable with the dialogue scenes, which are all strongly, or at least competently, handled. The action scenes aren't filmed with any flair or technique, and the editing is poor to bad. As a slasher the film fails quite badly. The kills are unimaginative, lack any brutality or gore and are flatly realised by weak direction and editing. The best kill for instance involves someone having their heart removed and then handed to them. It's so drably done with no sickening sound effects and minimal blood that it has no impact.

The film isn't scary in any way. Although I'm not sure if the movie made much of an attempt to be. It's much more of a comedy-drama than a horror. And it is mildly funny with a few good potshots at the conventions of the slasher genre.

The acting is much better than is expected from the type of film. The two leads are very good. Oddly the person who gives the worst performance is Robert Englund in a small Donald Pleasence style role. Also the main stoner person at the end was a pretty poor actor.

The monster in these movies usually end up being pretty iconic if they're any good. Leslie Vernon is probably the most verbal monster of them all. And as it's a comedy his personality isn't all darkness and suffering and sadism. He's more of a sadistic prankster than anything else. His iconic potential is undermined only by a rubbish mask. Otherwise he has what it takes to be on the pantheon of great slasher monsters. All he really needs is some fame.

Fans of slashers who genuinely enjoy Friday the 13th movies should adore this movie. I find the idea of slashers much more interesting than the reality as they are usually incredibly boring, half arsed, terrible movies. I liked this a lot more than real films of the genre as it had decent characters and a proper plot that was more than just random killings. It's nice to have a story that can sustain itself without relying only on decent murder scenes. Also the story manages to pull off a decent twist.

Overall the movie works well enough and it's very entertaining. I think the story is good enough to carry the poorly done slasher sequences. Those parts tell the story with competence, they just don't thrill like they should. In my opinion the story trumps well filmed murder scenes. A bad plot with good murder scenes means less to me than a good story with bad killings.

If you like this movie then I strongly recommend Tucker and Dale Vs Evil.

Overall 7 out of 10

Having not seen this one(YET!!)i find your review has got me more than a little interested in this one,and i'm sure the guys on the Slasher thread would love a go at this one.Always like the idea of a film within a film,and though yo do say it fails as an real orginal slasher,the story sounds pretty good,worth a try and you gave it a above average score???

Out of the rest of the cast, Mark Addy does well in a very similar 'best friend' part to Alan Young's, and Samantha Mumba is surprisingly good; she has a natural way with the camera and should have done more in films. Klaus Badelt's score has some strong themes, especially a rather rousing main theme and African-sounding music for the Eloi, making it one of the best scores to come from this erratic composer [sometimes a Media Ventures clone, sometimes a decent composer with his own voice]. The actual time machine is pretty impressive, with its more elaborate design and the way a kind of bubble forms when it is travelling in time, though I prefer the simplicity of the original's machine. Then again, if I was going to travel in time, this new machine certainly seems safer! My overall feeling about this remake is that it's a solid science fiction adventure when taken on its own, and a reasonable if inferior remake when compared to the original movie. And maybe someone will film the fantastic book properly one day.

Rating: 6.5/10

Well well you have been a busy Bee,and yes your score is spot on along with your review,and the big surprise for me was Samantha Mumba,not only sexy but a decent actor.Guy Pearce as you pointed out is both in style of a more stand off hero is excellent,and it being a 2002 film the CGI looks like computer graphics which spolit some of the more emoutional partsof the film.

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The actual time machine in this is rather good, simple in its minimalist design but looking quite practical and rather cool in its triangular shape. The original filmís anti-war theme is even stronger here and thereís a rather strong environmentalist theme in this one too. Wallace C. Bennettís script certainly has its heart in the right place and has some invention but every now and again is let down by an idea which is just stupid. With some rewriting, the screenplay could have actually been rather good, but the hurried production given to TV movies obviously meant that rewriting was not an option. Still, this Time Machine has its merits and is certainly worth a look as an interesting if extremely flawed take on a well known story. If you donít want to search for the DVD, which could take a while, you can view the whole movie on YouTube.

Rating: 5.5/10

I had completly forgotten about this made for TV film,and yes it was in two parts,you must have been glued to any Sci/Fi horror shows like myself,back in a Land Time Forgot.

I agree with both of your verdicts on the Time Machine and must say that I too did quite enjoy the remake even though it's not a patch on the Rod Taylor version, which has always been a favourite of mine. I remember the morlocks scaring the shit out of me as a kid!

On the subject of time travel I have been watching a load of classic Dr Who lately, the excellent Jon Pertwee. If you're a fan i highly recommend Inferno, The Curse of Peladon, Day of the Daleks, The Sea Devils and the hugely fun and underrated Invasion of the Dinosaurs ( complete with rubber dinosaur effects lol ). They may not have the special effects of today's Who but they certainly have buckets of charm, fun and the story's are great entertainment! Simply can not be beaten in my humble opinion

The best time travel sci/fi of them all DR WHO with Jon Pertwee,i spent many a Saturday hidding behind the living room door,or behind the chair,Loved It.The Sea Devils where to me more frighting than the Daleks,and caused many a sleepless night.

Watched THE BIRDS in WS and HD today... was on ITV HD last night... here's hoping to God we finally get an inidividual release of this on BR when the Hitchcock boxset hits later this year. I LOVE this movie!!!

Still got a load of films to watch... DEAD HEADS, RED STATE, PHENOMENA... Plus bought a couple of horror XBox games... DEAD ISLAND: GAME OF THE YEAR EDITION and DEAD RISING 2.

Next too PSYCHO,The Birds would be one of my favoritie Hickcock films,but it seems this to is tobe remade,there's been a script and budget set aside for this scince 2009,and i hear it has now been given the thumbs up. Best of the three movies you've still to see is: RED STATE (2011) The story is set in Middle America,where in a small town is dominated by a far right wing fundamentalist preacher, Abin Cooper.When three high school boys who receive an online invitation for sex,they jump at the chance for some fun,but on their way to the internet arranged meeting they have a minor crash that leads to more than they bargained for.They also end up crossing paths with Cooper and his fundamentalists who have a much more sinister agenda than just preaching,and the encounter sets into motion a series of events that causes all hell to break loose.

The director Kevin Smith,has really surprised me with this white trash horror film,which take's a dark look at Christian fundamentalist bigots,and also the US government.For it's first half it is a very powerful and disturbing film,but then it seems to lose the plot and try's to be a dark comedy,before returning to a dark twisted tale.It's so close to being a cult classic,a film as controversial as say Straw Dogs,but just fails to deliver a great ending.That said the acting is top notch from Michael Parks and Melissa Leo,the two main villains,who just rule the on screen time like there after an Oscar,they portray deeply disturbing nut bags with a feeling of realism.And the supporting cast must also be given credit,for making this film work a lot better than you'd expect of this director,with John Goodman as a federal agent also adding to the mix.

The story line itself is a take on Waco Texas,and any number of nutcase preachers i'm sure you've read about or seen,who protest at Gay funerals,and even Troops that fought in Iraq.Portraying these sad sick fundamentalist bigots as psychotic killers may for some be a bridge to far,but these people have caused death in there own country's,by there hateful views,just look what happened in N.Ireland.So for me the film hits the mark,but there are problems with pacing,and the fact it's never sure if's it's horror or political dark humor/satire.Still a big improvement in the skill of this director,and the fact i'm sure he'll get sme death threats from certain low life in the state's.7/10

Do not fret The Birds remake was shelved about a year ago... apparently they couldn't get the script/concept to work so gave up. Thankfully!

Watched LIVID tonight. Not a patch on INSIDE, in fact it's a very different film... sort of a cross between a ghost story with vampires! It's OK and the directors have an eye for detail (it looks goregous!) but it just never really†goes anywhere, the script is rather†weak and†it ends†abruptly with one of those was it her, wasn't it her endings! I've wanted to see it for ages and i'm pleased I have but it's not one i'd necessarily revisit in a hurry. Overall: 3/5† Oh and I want this (like NOW!!! ):

Arrow Video has announced the DVD and Blu-ray release of Zombie Flesh Eaters for the 26th of November, priced at around £19.99 and £24.99 respectively. A Blu-ray Steelbook will also be available for £29.99. Details of bonus material can be found below, along with the artwork.

FROM ROMERO TO ROME: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE ITALIAN ZOMBIE FILM: Veteran Fulci screenwriters Dardano Sacchetti (THE BEYOND) and Antonio Tentori (CAT IN THE BRAIN), celebrated UK critic Kim Newman and filmmakers Luigi Cozzi (CONTAMINATION), Ruggero Deodato (CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST), Russ Streiner (NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD) plus many more share memories of the genesis of corpse-crunching cinema - from Romero's early templates to the gory glory days of Fulci and his many successors.

THE MEAT MUNCHING MOVIES OF GINO ROSSI: The special effects magician behind many Italian splatter classics talks about his most famous gore-drenched greats - and shows props from many plasma-packed masterworks - including ZOMBIE FLESH-EATERS, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY, CANNIBAL FEROX, BURIAL GROUND and PIRANHA II.

ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS - FROM SCRIPT TO SCREEN: Dardano Sacchetti shows key pages from his original ISLAND OF THE LIVING DEAD screenplay.

I agree with both of your verdicts on the Time Machine and must say that I too did quite enjoy the remake even though it's not a patch on the Rod Taylor version, which has always been a favourite of mine. I remember the morlocks scaring the shit out of me as a kid!

On the subject of time travel I have been watching a load of classic Dr Who lately, the excellent Jon Pertwee. If you're a fan i highly recommend Inferno, The Curse of Peladon, Day of the Daleks, The Sea Devils and the hugely fun and underrated Invasion of the Dinosaurs ( complete with rubber dinosaur effects lol ). They may not have the special effects of today's Who but they certainly have buckets of charm, fun and the story's are great entertainment! Simply can not be beaten in my humble opinion

The best time travel sci/fi of them all DR WHO with Jon Pertwee,i spent many a Saturday hidding behind the living room door,or behind the chair,Loved It.The Sea Devils where to me more frighting than the Daleks,and caused many a sleepless night.

Yeah, the Sea Devils are indeed a force to be reckoned with. The Daleks never really scared me but are great entertainment value. I forgot to mention the Green Death, it's the one with the giant maggots, an absolute classic They just don't make em like they used to!

Do not fret The Birds remake was shelved about a year ago... apparently they couldn't get the script/concept to work so gave up. Thankfully!

Watched LIVID tonight. Not a patch on INSIDE, in fact it's a very different film... sort of a cross between a ghost story with vampires! It's OK and the directors have an eye for detail (it looks goregous!) but it just never really goes anywhere, the script is rather weak and it ends abruptly with one of those was it her, wasn't it her endings! I've wanted to see it for ages and i'm pleased I have but it's not one i'd necessarily revisit in a hurry. Overall: 3/5 Oh and I want this (like NOW!!! ):

Arrow Video has announced the DVD and Blu-ray release of Zombie Flesh Eaters for the 26th of November, priced at around £19.99 and £24.99 respectively. A Blu-ray Steelbook will also be available for £29.99. Details of bonus material can be found below, along with the artwork.

FROM ROMERO TO ROME: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE ITALIAN ZOMBIE FILM: Veteran Fulci screenwriters Dardano Sacchetti (THE BEYOND) and Antonio Tentori (CAT IN THE BRAIN), celebrated UK critic Kim Newman and filmmakers Luigi Cozzi (CONTAMINATION), Ruggero Deodato (CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST), Russ Streiner (NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD) plus many more share memories of the genesis of corpse-crunching cinema - from Romero's early templates to the gory glory days of Fulci and his many successors.

THE MEAT MUNCHING MOVIES OF GINO ROSSI: The special effects magician behind many Italian splatter classics talks about his most famous gore-drenched greats - and shows props from many plasma-packed masterworks - including ZOMBIE FLESH-EATERS, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY, CANNIBAL FEROX, BURIAL GROUND and PIRANHA II.

ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS - FROM SCRIPT TO SCREEN: Dardano Sacchetti shows key pages from his original ISLAND OF THE LIVING DEAD screenplay.

AHHHHH!!!! you beat me to it,just going online now to order it,and David posted the artwork on the Fulci thread for this classic Zombi film. Disapointed to hear LIVID is nowhere as good as INSIDE,but your score tells me it's worth a watch. Nice to hear THE BIRDS is sheleved for now????By the way meant to ask you is the film your due to watch Argeto's PHENOMENA? or? the John Travolta film of the same name made in 1996.My guess is this: PHENOMENA(aka Creepers) 1985

The story is about a teenager Jennifer Corvino(Jennifer Connelly), daughter of a famous actor, arrives in an expensive board school in Switzerland,and shares her room with the French schoolmate Sophie(Federica Mastroianni). Jennifer is a sleepwalker,and is capable of telepathically communicate with insects,and one night while hile sleepwalking, she meets and becomes a friend of a Scottish entomologist, Prof. John McGregor(Donald Pleasence), and his chimpanzee Tonga. Jennifer decides to help Dr. McGregor in the investigation of a serial killer,that is killing young girls in that area. When her friend Sophie disappears and Dr. McGregor is killed, the scared Jennifer decides to call her lawyer and return to Los Angeles. She is invited to stay in the house of Frau BrŁckner(Daria Nicolodi)waiting for her flight, but the serial killer is already closing in on her.

This is Jennifer Connelly's second film in a staring role,her first was Once Upon A Time In America,which Argento had seen and wanted her for the part.She only agreed after Dario hired a body double for the nude scenes,and a stunt double for scenes involving the chimp,and she got to use her own first name,as in the script the girl was called Martha.Now Argento says the movie is about the loss of innocence,which is why he wanted her,she was only 14 at the time,so once again Dario was pushing at the limits.Now the nude scenes that survived the cutting room floor are in fact a bit of a cheat as the girl is seen in see through robes,though still erotic enough to cause some outrage at the time.Also it has to be said that Connelly carries off her role very well,and helps lift the movie,in what was a very difficult role for any actress never mind a 14 year old.

This is the movie that scared the censors more than any other Argento film before, Phenomena 1985 or as it was also know as Creepers,where Dario mixes Gallio with the supernatural,again shows he just love's experimenting with his films.On release in it's cut form it was heavily criticized not just for the violence and eroticism,but for the plot,actors and soundtrack,in fact it took years for the full version to be released,and even then it got bad reviews.But to many miss the point this is a Fantasy/slasher movie, not a documentary, and it's not supposed to reflect reality.Dario treats his films as dreams/nightmares, and we all know that dreams are most often illogical, strange and wonderful and sometimes chilling.This is the only way to watch his film's,let the images take control and enjoy,and remember he aims his movies at adults,which is why they are very dark and violent.

As far as the acting goes in this film,as already said Jennifer is excellent and for me carried the movie,yet Donald was also pretty good if a bit ham at times,and of course Daria was well up for her part.As far as the score,well it's another fine Goblin piece of music,though there's Motorhead and Iron Maiden thrown in,which is ok but then it was the 80's.If your lucky enough to get the111 minute version,your in for one hell of a gore fest,as it's easily one of Argento's most brutal bloodiest movies.

From the opening scene to the end,this is a dark,dark tale that never let's up on violence and gore,and of course as ever Argento make's it all look so erotic at times.Take the opening killing where we see a beautiful young Danish tourist played by Argento's eldest daughter Fiore,stranded in the middle of the Swiss countryside after missing her last bus back into town,and all filmed in board daylight in the beautiful Swiss countryside.She enters a house looking for help but after hearing some strange sounds she runs for her life,as a chained killer breaks loose and gives chase.Argento brilliantly cross-cutting between the traumatized tourist desperately asking for help, and the thick chains of an unseen foe slowly breaking away from the wall on which they've been bolted.The killer stabs and beheads her all in view of a beautiful water fall,yet we only see the flash of the blade,and all this in just a few opening minutes.Later we see a pool of rotting corpse's which are heroine falls into,while she to tries to escape a chained psycho,a totally bizarre scene that will make you flinch.There 's amazing scenes with insects,where we see are heroine speaking to them,again so bizarre,yet for it's time high art effects,there still was no CGI at hand,and the knife wedding chimp,has to be one of the most crazy ideas ever put to film,yet it's bloody scary.And what a blood soaked ending,that makes even some modern horror movies look tame,it's no surprise the Distributors got scared.

I think it is a far better film than the story would have you believe,and this is down to toning down his usually mind-bending visual style /colour schemes/cinema-scope compositions and atmospheric camera movements.Dario going for a much colder visual look, with soft blue hues and black and white costume designs captured by a camera that tends to observe from a distance.All in maybe not a classic,but one hell of a horror fantasy movie,that is very daring in story and direction,and for me a creepy as hell nightmare of a movie.8/10

I agree with both of your verdicts on the Time Machine and must say that I too did quite enjoy the remake even though it's not a patch on the Rod Taylor version, which has always been a favourite of mine. I remember the morlocks scaring the shit out of me as a kid!

On the subject of time travel I have been watching a load of classic Dr Who lately, the excellent Jon Pertwee. If you're a fan i highly recommend Inferno, The Curse of Peladon, Day of the Daleks, The Sea Devils and the hugely fun and underrated Invasion of the Dinosaurs ( complete with rubber dinosaur effects lol ). They may not have the special effects of today's Who but they certainly have buckets of charm, fun and the story's are great entertainment! Simply can not be beaten in my humble opinion

The best time travel sci/fi of them all DR WHO with Jon Pertwee,i spent many a Saturday hidding behind the living room door,or behind the chair,Loved It.The Sea Devils where to me more frighting than the Daleks,and caused many a sleepless night.

Loved this variation on the Time Machine theme: -

Time After Time 1979 is where H.G. Wells(Malcolm McDowell) pursues Jack the Ripper(David Warner) to the 20th Century when the serial killer uses the writer's time machine to escape his time period.Never seen it till it turned up on late night TV(not sure what channel,maybe BBC2??),but it has stuck in my mind as being pretty good and on viewing it many years ago.All i can say that my initial impressions where that McDowell is very believable as Wells,really fitted the role so well, as is David Warner in his role of the Ripper.Haven't seen it in some time so can't comment on direction or the other actors,but i loved the twisted story line,and the effects where pretty good pre CGI.

quote:

dannyfletch Yeah, the Sea Devils are indeed a force to be reckoned with. The Daleks never really scared me but are great entertainment value. I forgot to mention the Green Death, it's the one with the giant maggots, an absolute classic They just don't make em like they used to!

AHHHH!!! Green Death,bloody hell how did they get away with that stomach churring bit of sick sci/fi,and yes it may look tame now even silly,but as a kid it was trully scary.I thought i'd wiped that from my memory,so thanks mate no rice for me tonight,and bugger the fishing freaks.

And out of interest has anyone seen AMER? I can get it from a local 2nd hand record store on BR for £5. Worth a blind buy?

For a FIVER,are you mad BUY BUY NOW!!!!!,it's one of the best Italian Style horror films to come out of European Cinema in a long long time,here's my old review,though DJ did an even more in depth one: AMER 2009 Searing memories and carnal desires rule the mind of Ana (Marie Bos), a young woman in thrall to her own fantasies.In three key moments/story's, all of them sensual, that define Ana's life from child to adult. Her carnal search sways between reality and coloured fantasies becoming more and more oppressive. A black laced hand prevents her from screaming. The wind lifts her dress and caresses her thighs. A razor blade brushes her skin, where will this chaotic and carnivorous journey leave her? Belgian Writer/directors Bruno Forzani and HťlŤne Cattet's pay homage to '70s/80's Italian horror,and for those of us upset at the decline of Italian Master Of Horror Dario Argento,will be relieved to find his legacy in such talented hands.A exploration of fear and desire, a visual tour de force composed of cropped images, strobe cuts, bizarre psychological twists and a steamy sensuality.A Gothic dark Fairytale of a young girl's fantasy's?(of which Sigmund Freud would be proud )and also a psychological thriller.A modern film that dares to mix eroticism with a haunted house plus European slasher movie style of the Italian masters of horror Bava/Argento and even Fulci.The film's surreal,enigmatic, intimate cinematography builds an atmosphere thick with the scent of evil, as Ana's visions and obsessions draw her toward deeper eroticism and even more danger.It's not that gory,and the sex is not in your face,yet it is still disturbing, suspenseful, puzzling and terrifying.Amer is a stylishly directed,and visually stunning,and like the Italian genre cinema,it's script and story are thread bare.This relies on it's visuals,sound effect's and a superb soundtrack,which in todays world of CGI popcorn friendly remakes is a rare gem indeed.

I must mention the terrific performances from the three leads,first Cassandra Foret as the young child Ana,this first chapter is about childhood fears centered around her continuously arguing parents in there ramshackle house.Her mother is a furious Italian wench,whom she witnesses through a keyhole,while shut in, having sex,she then contemplates the hardening corpse of her recently dead grandfather is still rotting in his bedroom. The creaking doors and echoes inside the exaggeratedly large mansion and the constant peeking of voyeuristic eyes,through the keyholes leave a vast impression on the young and petrified child.Who is also hunted by a dark figure who seems so real,or is he/she just part of her vivid nightmares.This is all played out with close up shots of eyes,and with very little spoken word,and splashes or red and blue that seem to merge before are eyes,and leaves you as chilled as the child. Then there's Charlotte Eugene Guibeaud as the incredibly beautiful teenage Ana,is simply tantalizing as the hair-chewing Lolita either with her mini-dress hem flapping against her knickers at crotch-level,or the close up shots of the sweat running down her legs.Ana with her mother has moved to sunny hot Cote d'AzŻr,where we see both dressed in a very sexual way as played by the camera angels,editing and visuals,we see a mother becoming jealous of her sexually charged daughter.You can in the eyes of the mother as they walk pass a bunch of leather clad bikers,her own sexual power being superseded by her teenage child turning into a woman before her and our eyes.We see Ana break lose of her mothers grip and she runs from her mother,or the piercing eyes of the lustfully men,we are given no answers just more strange images. Marie Bos is the adult Ana returning to her parental mansion, only to be confronted again with her childhood fears and imaginary pursuers,and the dark figure who always hunted her dream time.This is where it all comes togetter in imagery and kaleidoscopic colour,and is at it's most disturbing,with this disillusioned woman coping with events from her past,as it all comes crashing into her mind.The greatest scene here is the eyes-reflected-in-knife-blade finale, this portion owes a lot to A LIZARD IN A WOMAN'S SKIN.And indeed the finale is a terrific example of development and building together of themes that are all in truth linked, IE Life,Sex and Death

This is certainly the finest new horror film of the last decade,i just wish there where more directors and writers out there that could pull this off.In truth Hollywood style horror is aimed at the Zombie Nation(IE popcorn brain dead,who think all those remakes are first time classics). Its only drawback is that it simply isn't likely to appeal to those who crave Popcorn or cheap porn/torture horror or dislike art-house cinema, it is certainly not a film for the Zombie Nation. For me this is pure cinema,full of imagery that tells the story in a very sublime surreal way,and with out trying to explain every emotion with words,we feel the repression and thwarted desire through the imagery,sound and music.This is not just a nod at the Italian masters,there's Lynch moments here to like Wild At Heart or Lost Highway to name just two,even Guillermo del Toro Pan's Labyrinth has been an influence.So i find myself giving this masterpiece top marks,as this is the type of movie that gets me hooked right to the end credits.10/10

And here's mine, though it is from the days when I huge paragraphs and didn't bother much with pics

Three segments in the life of Ana. Firstly, when she is a girl living in a big spooky mansion, she finds a room with a dead old man and is followed by a mysterious figure dressed in black. Secondly, when she is a teenager walking through a town, both repelled and attracted by the male predators that are around her. Thirdly, when she is a woman returning to the house of her childhood which is now abandoned and dilapidated, but still inhabited by the figure in black that haunted her as a childÖÖÖÖ.

If youíre a true horror fan or just into strange and unusual cinema, you will at least be aware of the giallo subgenre that flourished in Italy throughout the 70s and even early 80s, with films boasting titles like The Iguana With The Tongue Of Fire, Seven Deaths In The Catís Eye, The Red Queen Kills Seven Times and my favourite, Your Vice Is A Locked Room And Only I Have The Key. Essentially thrillers often with horror elements, they usually featured a black gloved maniac gruesomely killing people [usually women], a bonkers plot, insane psychology and an element of perverse sexuality. They managed to combine art and exploitation in the oddest way, with often astonishingly inventive filmmaking containing things like unusual colours, inventive editing, extreme close ups, crazy camerawork etc. Usually the main protagonist in these films was a male journalist or a cop out to catch the killer. Belgian filmmaking couple Helene Cattett and Bruno Forzaniís Amer, which means bitter in French, seems to me the result of what would happen if a giallo played out from the point of view of the murderer [and this isnít really a spoiler, donít worry!]. Itís both a loving tribute to the aesthetics of the genre and also a clever subversion of it. Fortunately, itís also such a terrific piece of filmmaking that, even if you havenít seen any giallos, it wonít matter as long as youíre up for seeing something offbeat and strange- if you like David Lynch for instance, you ought to love this movie as it has a similar feel and dream logic. Iíll emphasise one thing though-thereís hardly any dialogue,but then Alfred Hitchcock did say ďa filmmaker isnít supposed to say things, heís supposed to show themĒ.

The first story is so strong that at first it seems that the rest of the film will not be nearly as good. We follow young Ana in her home, which from the outside looks just like the one in Deep Red, spying on her maid, putting up with a rather menacing mother dressed in mourning and followed by the strange black figure. The tension is incredible straight away and the effect is quite scary even if not much is happening at first. Things seem to be heightened because we are seeing and feeling them from her point of view, and you get the feeling that anything can happen. After a truly bizarre bit where Ana witnesses sex and the actual film almost appears to break down, mirroring her feelings, a plot does seem to slightly form as we encounter the very creepy corpse, with water dripping onto it like The Drop Of Water segment in Black Sabbath. Yes, itís not just giallos that are referenced here, but I must emphasise the point that, despite all the homages, Amer is still entirely its own film. I donít think itís like Quentin Tarantinoís post Jackie Brown films, for instance, where it seems to me [I know many will disagree] that he thinks up all the cool bits he likes from films to put in a film of his own, then hurriedly dreams up a plot [and reams of dialogue!] to incorporate them. After a baffling finish, this part ends and we move on the second section, which is very short and seems to derive more from French soft porn movies. To be honest it isnít that good-itís basically Ana having men leer at her. However, the final section is incredible, a lengthy suspense sequence with bits worthy of Alfred Hitchcock, and finally climaxing in a vicious murder which is reminiscent of The New York Ripper in its razor slashing nastiness. The ending doesnít perhaps make sense, but any conventional ending to this movie would be wrong.

Thereís a really dreamlike feel to the whole movie, aided by the relative lack of dialogue. Some scenes do drag on for ages, especially the bit of Ana walking to and in her old house in the final section, which goes on forever, but I loved this aspect, it reminded me of directors like Sergio Leone and Michelangelo Antonioni, where time was often slowed down and things sometimes took forever, but one was never bored because of the tension and the atmosphere. Iím sick of the current obsession with speeding everything up anyway! This movie is shot in the very stylised way many giallos were, with lots of close ups [often of eyes], odd editing choices and odd colour schemes which sometimes go into Suspiria territory with bright use of certain colours like red and blue, and thereís also terrific use of augmented sound effects like dripping water and heavy breathing. As said before though, Amer also subverts the giallo with things like the whole film being from the point of view of the killer, having a female be the lead, and not even having much killing. Despite all this technical virtuosity and cleverness, all the film referencing [I couldnít believe that the same film could reference both A Lizard In A Woman's Skin and Un Chien Undalou], and the disturbing sexual elements throughout [which occasionally sometimes seem a little overdone], the film constantly has compassion for its fragile, disturbed central character, and itís story, which is partially about the effect of childhood trauma, and partially a twisted coming of age tale, has elements which most of us can probably relate to.

Now this isnít really a film where the performances are especially important, but all three actresses playing Ana do a fine job in conveying her conflicting emotions, especially the young Cassandra Foret who conveys Anaís fear and curiosity very well. Thereís not much music in the film, but what there is consists of tracks from old giallo scores by people like Ennio Morricone and Carlo Savina. Now I really dislike this way of using music, in the manner of Tarantino, but itís fair to say that many viewers will not have heard the pieces before so I suppose the filmmakers just about get away with it. Manu Dacosseís cinematography is endlessly inventive and while it does copy the giallo style, it actually seems really fresh amidst todayís cinema. Back in the 70s films many films of this nature got major cinema releases and were very commercially successful, sadly today I think Amer will remain a cult film with limited appeal which is a shame, the multiplexes need more films like this. Maybe thereís the odd element that doesnít quite work, and as I said the middle story isnít all that, but this is a stunning piece of filmmaking that reminds us of how uninventive and dull many films actually are. With just one film, Cattett and Forzani have established themselves as two of the best filmmakers today and I canít wait for their next movie. Rating: 9/10

I agree with both of your verdicts on the Time Machine and must say that I too did quite enjoy the remake even though it's not a patch on the Rod Taylor version, which has always been a favourite of mine. I remember the morlocks scaring the shit out of me as a kid!

On the subject of time travel I have been watching a load of classic Dr Who lately, the excellent Jon Pertwee. If you're a fan i highly recommend Inferno, The Curse of Peladon, Day of the Daleks, The Sea Devils and the hugely fun and underrated Invasion of the Dinosaurs ( complete with rubber dinosaur effects lol ). They may not have the special effects of today's Who but they certainly have buckets of charm, fun and the story's are great entertainment! Simply can not be beaten in my humble opinion

The best time travel sci/fi of them all DR WHO with Jon Pertwee,i spent many a Saturday hidding behind the living room door,or behind the chair,Loved It.The Sea Devils where to me more frighting than the Daleks,and caused many a sleepless night.

Loved this variation on the Time Machine theme: -

O Yes. I must do a review of this one soon, I'm on a time travel trip atm! A clever combo of Well's story and Jack The Ripper!

I agree with both of your verdicts on the Time Machine and must say that I too did quite enjoy the remake even though it's not a patch on the Rod Taylor version, which has always been a favourite of mine. I remember the morlocks scaring the shit out of me as a kid!

On the subject of time travel I have been watching a load of classic Dr Who lately, the excellent Jon Pertwee. If you're a fan i highly recommend Inferno, The Curse of Peladon, Day of the Daleks, The Sea Devils and the hugely fun and underrated Invasion of the Dinosaurs ( complete with rubber dinosaur effects lol ). They may not have the special effects of today's Who but they certainly have buckets of charm, fun and the story's are great entertainment! Simply can not be beaten in my humble opinion

Like Bill I still remember watching some of these and being half scared to death. Would be interesting to re-view after all these years...

Watched THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE 2 (UNRATED DIRECTOR'S CUT) tonight. It's daft, it's sick and Tom Six is totally deluded if he thinks he's made one of the sickest horror films ever made. The sequence with the baby is indeed sick but it just made me think of...

A SERBIAN FILM UNCUT... Just bought it off Amazon.com for £20! Didn't even realise the US had an uncut DVD now available, A very happy sicko as this film n its uncut form is quite simply a disturbing masterpiece!

Oh and as for that THC2 score, well warrants about a 1.5/5. You ain't missing much in the 2min 37sec UK cut tbh. Nothing that's worth your time anyway. Although I will say this, you can see why the BBFC banned it in its uncut form just from the opening scenes!

Oh please do, if anything revisit the Pertwee and Tom Baker eras. I feel they are just as enjoyable now, you have to respect the makers as the time schedules were very tight for shooting and the budgets were almost non-existent. My recommendations as must watches from the Jon Pertwee era would be The Green Death, Day of the Daleks, The Deamons, The Sea Devils, The Curse of Peladon, Frontier in Space and the excellent Inferno. From the Tom Baker era you've got Genises of the Daleks, Revenge of the Cybermen, Planet of Evil, Hand of Fear, Face of Evil, Talons of Weng Chiang, Invasion of Time and The Deadly Assassin. Glad I brought back the fond memories of giant maggots for Evil Bill lol

Watched THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE 2 (UNRATED DIRECTOR'S CUT) tonight. It's daft, it's sick and Tom Six is totally deluded if he thinks he's made one of the sickest horror films ever made. The sequence with the baby is indeed sick but it just made me think of...

A SERBIAN FILM UNCUT... Just bought it off Amazon.com for £20! Didn't even realise the US had an uncut DVD now available, A very happy sicko as this film n its uncut form is quite simply a disturbing masterpiece!

Oh and as for that THC2 score, well warrants about a 1.5/5. You ain't missing much in the 2min 37sec UK cut tbh. Nothing that's worth your time anyway. Although I will say this, you can see why the BBFC banned it in its uncut form just from the opening scenes!

Uncut or Unrated? - I have the R1 Unrated and it is still cut apparently. The US distributor was worried that they could fall foul of US laws regardless of first amandement rights and the fact the film is fiction (the two most notorious scenes involving children have been cut, I will say no more just in case you haven't seen it at all yet).

Oh please do, if anything revisit the Pertwee and Tom Baker eras. I feel they are just as enjoyable now, you have to respect the makers as the time schedules were very tight for shooting and the budgets were almost non-existent. My recommendations as must watches from the Jon Pertwee era would be The Green Death, Day of the Daleks, The Deamons, The Sea Devils, The Curse of Peladon, Frontier in Space and the excellent Inferno. From the Tom Baker era you've got Genises of the Daleks, Revenge of the Cybermen, Planet of Evil, Hand of Fear, Face of Evil, Talons of Weng Chiang, Invasion of Time and The Deadly Assassin. Glad I brought back the fond memories of giant maggots for Evil Bill lol

Watched THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE 2 (UNRATED DIRECTOR'S CUT) tonight. It's daft, it's sick and Tom Six is totally deluded if he thinks he's made one of the sickest horror films ever made. The sequence with the baby is indeed sick but it just made me think of...

A SERBIAN FILM UNCUT... Just bought it off Amazon.com for £20! Didn't even realise the US had an uncut DVD now available, A very happy sicko as this film n its uncut form is quite simply a disturbing masterpiece!

Oh and as for that THC2 score, well warrants about a 1.5/5. You ain't missing much in the 2min 37sec UK cut tbh. Nothing that's worth your time anyway. Although I will say this, you can see why the BBFC banned it in its uncut form just from the opening scenes!

The US version of A Serbian Film is still cut,and when you see the bootleg version you'll unserstand why.DJ and Hughes did some fine reviews on this one,and where pretty disturbed after it,i don't think they watched it again.

quote:

Uncut or Unrated? - I have the R1 Unrated and it is still cut apparently. The US distributor was worried that they could fall foul of US laws regardless of first amandement rights and the fact the film is fiction (the two most notorious scenes involving children have been cut, I will say no more just in case you haven't seen it at all yet).

Well pointed out,and alsowhy the BBFC had cuts made before releasing it in arthouse cinemas,though i did hear some showed it fully uncut at certain private festivals???

I agree with both of your verdicts on the Time Machine and must say that I too did quite enjoy the remake even though it's not a patch on the Rod Taylor version, which has always been a favourite of mine. I remember the morlocks scaring the shit out of me as a kid!

On the subject of time travel I have been watching a load of classic Dr Who lately, the excellent Jon Pertwee. If you're a fan i highly recommend Inferno, The Curse of Peladon, Day of the Daleks, The Sea Devils and the hugely fun and underrated Invasion of the Dinosaurs ( complete with rubber dinosaur effects lol ). They may not have the special effects of today's Who but they certainly have buckets of charm, fun and the story's are great entertainment! Simply can not be beaten in my humble opinion

Like Bill I still remember watching some of these and being half scared to death. Would be interesting to re-view after all these years...

I'm sure you've all heard the news that Tony Scott has taken his own life?and even though he will be remmbered for his great Action films,i myself will always know he was so close to out shining his older brother with this great film. THE HUNGER 1983

Egyptian vampire lady Miriam subsists upon the blood of her lovers,in return the guys or girls don't age,until of course Miriam has had enough of them. Unfortunately that's currently the case with John, so his life expectancy is below 24 hours. Desperately he seeks help from the famous Dr. Sarah Roberts,but she doesn't really believe his story, but becomes curious and contacts Miriam . This movie was not typical of horror movies film of the 80s,as it was more art house vampire film,and also a love story,as it tells of a 2000 year old vampiress who drinks blood to survive. This neo-Gothic exercise in style and atmosphere is perhaps most widely known for a lesbian sex scene involving Miriam and Sarah, played by Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon.But it's so much more,it is an unforgettable experience,and you will return to watch again and again.

In his feature debut, director Tony Scott, brother of Ridley, exhibits the same penchant for eleborate art direction,your visual sensualities will have a feast, but you'll have to read Whitley Strieber's novel if you don't want to have a bad headache as this is very deep.This is a real vampire film,not a laughable teen fun like,Lost Boys,which i love for it's exorcise in teen fun,and bloody good chills but not as much as this one.Which is so highly atmospheric,also so incredibly stylish,erotic,bloody and chilling,in fact these adjectives can just about sum up/describe this great movie.

Plus(and it's a big plus) the acting is top notch,i love especially the wonderful Catherine Deneuve as a sexy chilling bisexual female vampire.Blink and you'll miss Willam Defoe who play's a street punk with just two lines,and there's also David Bowie as John who at least gets more lines and screen time,and shows what a great actor he can be.This film is a shatteringly beautiful, sophisticated vampire art film with ground-breaking editing, cinematography and design that paved the way for such brilliant films like Let The Right One In. Plus the excellent soundtracts of Bowie, Deneuve,and 80's goth music performance by Bauhaus,are just irresistible.The angle of vampire mythology which the film focuses on is longevity,and what would the experience of living eternally have on an individual?Also take note plenty of Barry Lyndon references!with the atmosphere full of strange melancholy,in fact some scenes remind me of Argento's movie's,that nightmare feel you get.If you love horror movies with artistic touch,you can't miss this one,in my opinion it's a Vampire Horror masterpiece upthere with the best.

R I P Tony Scott,you will be much missed by your friends,family and Brother.

Watched THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE 2 (UNRATED DIRECTOR'S CUT) tonight. It's daft, it's sick and Tom Six is totally deluded if he thinks he's made one of the sickest horror films ever made. The sequence with the baby is indeed sick but it just made me think of...

A SERBIAN FILM UNCUT... Just bought it off Amazon.com for £20! Didn't even realise the US had an uncut DVD now available, A very happy sicko as this film n its uncut form is quite simply a disturbing masterpiece!

Oh and as for that THC2 score, well warrants about a 1.5/5. You ain't missing much in the 2min 37sec UK cut tbh. Nothing that's worth your time anyway. Although I will say this, you can see why the BBFC banned it in its uncut form just from the opening scenes!

The US version of A Serbian Film is still cut,and when you see the bootleg version you'll unserstand why.DJ and Hughes did some fine reviews on this one,and where pretty disturbed after it,i don't think they watched it again.

quote:

Uncut or Unrated? - I have the R1 Unrated and it is still cut apparently. The US distributor was worried that they could fall foul of US laws regardless of first amandement rights and the fact the film is fiction (the two most notorious scenes involving children have been cut, I will say no more just in case you haven't seen it at all yet).

Well pointed out,and alsowhy the BBFC had cuts made before releasing it in arthouse cinemas,though i did hear some showed it fully uncut at certain private festivals???

It's the UNCUT 104 minute version that is now available in the US through Invincible Pictures...http://www.invinciblepictures.com/store/node/28

It's a limited edition DVD so pick it up whilst you can. The version you have was the original release that came out last year (October/November was it) and it was indeed cut due to ongoing legal proceedings however the full uncut version was finally released on 22nd May 2012...

ORIGINAL: losthighway It's the UNCUT 104 minute version that is now available in the US through Invincible Pictures...http://www.invinciblepictures.com/store/node/28

It's a limited edition DVD so pick it up whilst you can. The version you have was the original release that came out last year (October/November was it) and it was indeed cut due to ongoing legal proceedings however the full uncut version was finally released on 22nd May 2012...

In short, you need to double dip!

This could be the version for me,as you know mine was the Uncut Bootleg,which was shit sound and picture,but still disturbing. Thanks for the info mate.

A truly gruesome classic scene there, almost as bad as when Brundle fly pukes on Stathis' hand and foot Cronenberg needs to make another gruesome body horror that makes us reach for the sick bag!

Shame David seems to avoid the bodyshock horror now,and just stick to more tame erotic based storys???,though still watchable,we need some horror Mr Cronenberg. Watched this the other night,though not quite Weird but chilling and strange,it's a Norwegian based Thriller: HEADHUNTERS (2011) This Norwegian thriller based on the best-selling novel by crime writer Jo Nesbo,and stars Aksel Hennie as Roger, a corporate headhunter who supplements the income necessary to fund his luxury home and lavish lifestyle by developing a sideline of stealing expensive works of art from his clients. When he sets his sights on his next target, smooth-talking Danish businessman Clas Greve (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), it quickly becomes apparent that, this time, Roger has definitely chosen the wrong man to steal from.

This is a very fine high class thriller directed by Morten Tyldum,who's other work Fallen Angels and Buddy are also excellent films.Bad news is this is right now this has been remade,in fact i think it's due for release later this year or next.Anyway i saw this for the first time Sunday night,on rental Blu-Ray and it's subtitled,but i'm a bit of a fan of Scandinavian thrillers,so don't mind having to read my way through a film.Director Morten Tyldum creates a dark stark, brooding film where silence is even more disturbing than dialogue,where a one mans ego,greed and insecurity,portray capitalism at it's darkest.The visual style has the camera often completely immobile, forcing you to concentrate on what's going on,while leading you on a merry dance,with plenty of red herrings,and occasionally it is graphically violent for a 15 cert,with body mutilation, high impact bloody shooting and the occasional spearing. The cast of Aksel Hennie as Roger and Nicolai Coaster-Waldau as Clas Greve are fantastic,acting there socks off in this twisted battle of survival,where there greed has lead them into a dark world of violence.Plus the rest of the supporting cast are more like leading roles also,doing real justice to their parts and the awesome story.With all the characters believable and fully developed,this film will take your breath away in how intense it can be yet,darkly wity in other places,giving you just enough time to catch your breath for the next round of twists in the plot and bloody violence. Overal this is one great nights entertainment with well paced great chases,bloody violent shootouts,dazzling visuals,top notch acting, and a story that will have you biting your fingernails.Also an superb soundtrack,that never takes your eyes off the screen,but helps build on the tension,and gives it a Hitchcock thriller feel.See it before they spoil it with yet another too soon remake,that will water down the violence and dark comedy,that reminds me so much of a Coen Brothers film.Yet make no mistake this fast paced thriller is like no other out there in Hollywood land,and just wished i'd seen it in the cinema,but sound and picture wise Blu-Ray is near perfect. 7/10

Yes, I've heard quite a few great things about Headhunters and as I missed it at the cinema I think I will probably purchase the blu-ray soon. Also looking forward to purchasing the upcoming Arrow blu-ray release of Lucio Fulci's Zombie Flesh Eaters, one I have been eagerly awaiting! Like the review of The Hunger too. A strange film that I have always loved and was certainly Tony Scott at his best ( although I do really like Revenge with Kevin Costner too! ). A film that shown us his proper talents before Hollywood got their greasy paws on him! A sad loss to the world and an even sadder tale that all the success and money in the world doesn't necessarily mean that it will bring you happiness. My thoughts go out to all family and friends in this very sad and tragic time.

See it before they spoil it with yet another too soon remake,that will water down the violence and dark comedy,that reminds me so much of a Coen Brothers film.

I watched Headhunters last night.

You know how best seller literary thrillers are somehow often twice as dumb and moronic than film and TV programmes? Well this book must be at least three times as dumb and moronic as the resulting film is just insulting to the intelligence. Implausibility and general silliness was turned right up to full.

It wasn't good or anything, but it was watchable.

The Coen Brothers comparison is interesting. I can see the connection and how they would a good choice for the American remake.

It's the UNCUT 104 minute version that is now available in the US through Invincible Pictures...http://www.invinciblepictures.com/store/node/28

It's a limited edition DVD so pick it up whilst you can. The version you have was the original release that came out last year (October/November was it) and it was indeed cut due to ongoing legal proceedings however the full uncut version was finally released on 22nd May 2012...

In short, you need to double dip!

interesting.... Although I don't know if I'm that desperate to see those scenes fully uncut.. I will have to way it up (although if it's limited it may well be worth buying as an investment).

I had a copy of the uncut version and gave it away for free as I felt quite sick by what was included. As I've said before it is a brave film but certainly not my cup of tea. I can appreciate what the film makers were trying to do, although I do think they went too far. I'm all up for a bit of controversy, love films like The Devils, everything Cronenberg and Lynch but couldn't bring myself to watch the uncut version again.